This blog was created to honor the memory of Lebanese heroes of all sects who were assassinated for their patriotic stands. May God bless their souls and bless Lebanon.

Thursday, March 17, 2005

I am tense and angry!

Two days after a protest that would have brought down the most formidable government, there are still no positive developments worth mentioning! Why? A tactic I call: "stall & divide".

Today, the head of one Lebanese inteligence service said: "I have sued myself for negligence and will abide by the ruling of the courts!" Okay... has anyone heard of such a thing? "I have sued myself..." To add insult to injury, the SoB didn't even bother to step down! So my question is: how is the court supposed to arrive at a fair ruling if the suspect is still the most dangerous man in the country? Maybe someone can enlighten me on that one!

Yesterday, we also got Nasrallah on Television. The hopefull among us probably expected some kind of concession... some kind of nod to the massive turn out on Monday. But Nooo!!!! Mr. Nasrallah said, in very eloquent terms, pretty much what he's been saying all along.

Why? Why the obstinance? Why the stubborness? All they do is stall, and try to divide the opposition. They keep on repeating the same thing: We have to defend ourselves from Zionists; and "some" members of the opposition are traitors because of what they did during the civil war.

Sor far they're failing. But for how long are they going to try? A few days; weeks; months?!?! When are they going to concede that they've been defeated?

18 comments:

Raja, patience. Think on the bright side, even Nasrallah was asking for a suspension of these security guys ( I think), so I think suspension or firing is all but a fait accompli. They are dead men walking. As, I believe, Solh said: these guys are employees, who are they to stand in the way of the national will. the syrians are going, these security honchos are on the way out. The only big kahuna left to tackle is future disarnament of hizbullah. And then, we can tackle all the other issues that confront lebanon, sectarianism, poor infrastructure, corruption, budget deficits, rule of law....One step at a time I guess, this is for the long haul. How was Sfeir's trip been received? you know i bet you Bernie Ebbers of Worldcom wished he could have sued himself rather than get hauled to jail! I really appreciate your comments and analysis, keep up the good work. It is not going to be linear, but thankfully Lahoud and cohort as well our syrian "brothers" are in many ways so farcically incompetent at public discourse, that they did their own graves. If you need more cheering up, there are plenty of sites that have us all, as zionist imperialist lackeys, or capitalists pigs seeking to oppress the proletariat. It is true my agenda is so right wing, I want lebanon to be independent, cna you imagine that? I don't see Hizbullah as this leftist secular party, no really, I am uncomfortable with them retaining arms, I guess I am pro gun control! Don't hold that against me guys, you can still call me a right wing fascist.

Talkin more on the divide and rule tactic, let's not forget what the loyalists did to Bahia Hariri's speech. It was a tactic to divide the opposition par excellence. Taking an excerpt from it, basically saying that Syria is a "sister" country and that she is speaking from Martyr's Square on behalf of Nasrallah and Berri. They thought however that they can pull off this gig...well, Bahia was prompt at putting their tactics to shame when she let them know that she stands by the Opposition's demands no matter what!

Bahia did put them in their place and from Mukhtara no less. It is so funny that "loyalist" and "arabists" latch on this "we want good relations with sister syria" as some kind of division in the opposition, or an affirmation of Arabism, or even anti american. Of course, any rational lebanese would want good relations with syria, it is after all our larger neighbor. If I am not mistaken, Canada seeks good relations with the US, yes it is true crazy as that sounds, but believe or not though it shares a common language and cultural roots with its much larger neighbor, for some reason, they wish to retain independence, and would frown at meddling by the US in their internal affairs. Those crazy canadians, don't they realise they are anglo saxons (most of them) and should be thrilled to be occupied by their more powerful "sister" country?

Why? Why the obstinance? Why the stubborness? All they do is stall, and try to divide the opposition.

Perhaps it works because the opposition isn't really organized yet. It could call a million people for a demonstration, but not a collection of representative speakers to issue demands of the form, "Do this, and if you don't, WE will issue the orders to government officials, and if THEY don't obey, well, we're a million strong, aren't we?"

Yes, it raises the spectre of civil war - the Lebanese Army vs. Hezbollah. But it should scare the hell out of the the Asad regime, and may knock sense into everyone else.

We forget that the Beirut Spring is only a month old. The faster pro-democracy forces organize, the faster the existing government must react.

It won't be easy. The Soviet Union trained its secret agents to act as provacateurs, taking up extreme positions that make "unity" impossible. Those folks will have to be shaken out. No, the opposition won't stay united -- but real democracies never do, not on everything...

In my judgment, the Lebanese can't just sit at home and just expect things to happen. Demonstrating ALONE is not enough.

As to why they're stalling -- it's for their very existance. If they ever leave, it's going to be kicking and screaming. Because once Syria is kicked out of Lebanon, Iran and Syria will lose their foothold to easy attacks on Israel as well as their quick pipeline to getting the PA arms to fight Israel and they're not going to like that. Not only that, if Lebanon gets to taste freedom, you can bet Assad will be wondering how long before his fellow countrymen toss him out on his butt? And if that happens, Iran is going to completely freak out. Hizbullah is the wild card in this...one that could cause a helluva lot of problems. Their loyalty is to Iran...and that's bad news.

If Hizbollah places its loyalty to Iran above that of loyalty to Lebanon, that may confound the Lebanese into inaction, for have they not built up the image of Hizbollah as "patriotic" organization that expelled the Israeli's from "occupied" Lebanon?

It seems to me that any confrontation with Hizbollah risks breaking the unwritten compact of silence and myth that has existed since Israel's departure from Southern Lebanon. If Hizbollah insists on its current course, there is no way I can see that the Lebanese will achieve freedom without confronting it, at least partially, unless the Lebanese make a total break is made with Hizbollah -- unlikely, but possible.

Hizbollah must realize this; that's why they throw wild accusations of "Jew" or "Zionist" at their very Lebanese political opponents. So the least shameful alternative is either to break with Hizbollah (how strong is the Lebanese Army?) or do nothing and let the Beirut Spring wither and die. I do not know how Lebanon will choose.

It is not what the opposition does now, it is more of what do YOU DO NEXT! They saw your huge people power, they may be saying "Now can do they have the knowledge of how to harness that into anything else?"

~ You've shown you have the greater numbers.

~ Syria is moving troops and agents out of some parts of the country.

~ Now you delivered a hard right with the larger show of citizens behind the opposition.

~ Now marshal that superior opposition into something that will push the current government out and fill the void.

I believe there could upheaval going on in Syria at the moment (per www.free-lebanon.com). It is happening across the spectrum in the Middle East.

Hezballah would definitely feel betrayed by Syria pulling out of Lebanon. And so would those in Syria that is loosing money from their occupation on Lebanon in the military. Per www.free-lebanon.com, somehow there were those in Syria who were making $1 Billion per year off of occupying Lebanon in some ways and means.

Coup d'Etat attempt or other forms of conflict between them and thier Presdient by Syrian hard liners actually going on at this moment would make sense to me.

This just shows that Bush and the coalition of the free's relentless pressure is reeking havoc on the dark forces through out the Middle East like nothing ever seen before in history.

www.free-lebanon.com claims to have more updates on what they claim to be happening. Is that stuff true or false, who knows for sure at the moment. Regardless of whether it is accurate, it does make sense that there would be dissention within Syria regarding the pullout by their troops.

Per WWW.FREE-LEBANON.COM.The reason the Syrian General leading the coup was in Lebanon a couple of days ago was to discuss the process of the assasination of your former Prime Minister and of course to meet about his role as leader of Syria and how to reverse your peoples opposition to Syria under HIS COMMAND, NOT ASSADS.